


hymn of an amaranth martyr

by exceed



Series: half machine (at least half steam) [2]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Dissociation, Hurt/Comfort, It's a Trap!, Kidnapping, M/M, Post-Pacifist Best Ending (Detroit: Become Human), Pre-Relationship, Violence, connor to the rescue, don't go alone markus, slight flower symbolism, this series has become very slow burn, yes beta i want to live
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-30
Updated: 2018-09-30
Packaged: 2019-07-20 19:38:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16144121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/exceed/pseuds/exceed
Summary: He kept quiet as his audio processors picked up something akin to sobbing, something else that sounded like slapping or hitting. Markus kept his hands steady, stopped them from curling up too tightly, and slowly made his way to the staircase.He had to get them, had to get them. This mattered too much to just let this keep going, and it didn’t matter how many people were down there. He’d managed a horrid fight at the end of the revolution, he’d run from people storming the old Jericho, and he wouldn’t be stopped here.Markus didn’t notice the way that he was cut off from the outside world digitally as he descended the stairs ever-so-softly.He had a mission.In which anti-android sentiment still lurks in the night, Markus makes rash choices, and a thunderstorm rolls in.





	hymn of an amaranth martyr

**Author's Note:**

> hello hello! i've been really inspired to write for this, so i've made it into a series. expect at least one other installment, at least, and perhaps a few more. i'm gay and i'm bad at decisions.
> 
> reading the first fic is sorta required for context, but it's not too hard to do without (although i don't know why you'd do that).
> 
> betad by catwrites, because theyre wonderful (and their fics are stunning, too!)
> 
> thanks for reading!

i have become the harbinger of hope.  
i stand in the eye of the storm, battered by the winds of change,  
staring up at the heavens spread out before me  
as if i can divine some meaning from its sprawl.

but with each eye trained on my every movement  
i can only keep accepting the burdens placed on my shoulders  
doubling down on my commitment  
even as it hastens my inevitable breaking point.

but what can be done with sharp words and quick fists?  
i refuse to step down to that level, to dissolve into fighting  
that makes no real change in the world  
except for leaving the participants bloody.

so i kneel, i keep the world on my shoulders,  
and wait for the sun to rise on true equality once more.

 

* * *

 

“So. About Connor.”

“...What are you talking about? Implying? Anything I should know?”

The night above was stunning. Stars spread out above them even with the light pollution, crisp and clear. Markus and North were sitting at the edge of the roof, conversing under the fresh air.

“A few days ago,” North said, rolling her eyes, “he came here looking like somebody had killed a puppy that he liked. You remember? When I dragged him in and you two talked, or some shit like that?”

Markus hummed, leaning back so that he was laying down. His eyes stayed half-open, scanning the cosmos above. “Yeah, I remember,” he said simply, eyes slowly closing as he- remembered. A panicked face, an overload of emotions, a confession of nearly killing him. It made Markus’ heart ache with the thought that Connor harbored such self-guilt. “...What about it?”

“Well, he walked out the next day looking all happy.”

A beat of silence.

“Markus, did you fuck him?”

He spluttered and shot right back up, eyes opening in a flash as he gasped over at North. “What- I- what the fuck are you _talking_ about? Why the hell would I have sex with him?”

She raised her eyebrows as if he should know. What the fuck did she think was going on? Did she think that they were in a relationship? “What the hell are you talking about, North?”

“You. Him. _Fucking._ Making love _. Sex._ ” Her eyebrows were sky high now. “What, did you not spill your massive crush on him? Did he not immediately confess back? Every time I see you two, one of you is eye-fucking each other like pieces of candy. Don’t tell me that y’all _didn’t_ fuck.”

The whine that bubbled out of his throat was something absolutely unholy. RA9 would not approve. “I don’t- I don’t have a crush on him! And I don’t eye-fuck him! That’s- so crude!”

The all-knowing eyebrows stayed high. He crumpled under the pressure.

“I mean. I do have. Maybe a _little_ bit of a crush.” He stopped her with a frantic hand before she could burst out with a ‘told you so’, eyes wide. “But that doesn’t mean he likes me! He was here because he was bored! And we just talked for a bit and then he watched me paint while he charged up!”

“Suuuure.” The utter disbelief in North’s voice was clearly, clearly shown. “Try telling me that again and we’ll see if I believe you.”

“We just talked for a bit and-”

“I didn’t actually mean that, doofus.” She rolled her eyes and punched his shoulder lightly- well, lightly for her. He was still reeling back when North started to speak again. “That couldn’t have been it. Connor looks easy to please, but….not just by some simple goddamn talking and painting.”

“Well…”

“Hmm?”

“Well. He had a breakdown because of some stuff that’s been going on with him. I helped him calm down and made him feel better about it. Then he watched me paint.” Markus resisted the urge to scratch at the back of his neck lightly, grimacing slightly. “I’d...rather not talk about it, North. Those are his things to tell you.”

Silence fell as North let her gaze drift away from him, eyebrows falling back down as she turned her head over to the skyline, towards the main part of the city. “...Well, shit, then. That’s...rough. Wonder why he looked so depressed coming in.”

There was a moment of quiet as he thought on Connor, not bothering to respond to North’s almost-question. He had looked so panicked, back then. Just thinking of it made him want to hug the other android close so that it’d never happen again.

...He really _did_ have it bad for Connor, didn’t he?

He stayed silent as some clouds started to slowly roll in, covering the night sky with dark grey arms. He sat back with a bigger frown as ominous rumbling started on the horizon. Thunder, lightning. A rainstorm crawling closer with every second.

“I’m going inside,” he murmured, standing up and looking away from North. He didn’t want to cut off the conversation early, but…

The sky rumbled again.

He let his fingers twitch nervously.

“I’ll...be in there,” Markus finished softly before making his escape. He didn’t look back to see North’s reaction. It was better to not let himself see what was going on, sometimes, especially when a thunderstorm was about to roll in.

 **_Markus?_ ** Simon’s frequency was easy to pick out, especially when the kind android decided to contact him directly. He sounded a bit hesitant, a bit nervous. Markus frowned and kept going down the stairs and into the building as he finished their connection.

_What is it, Simon? Is everything alright?_

Silence for a moment. **_Not...exactly. A few androids have come in asking for your help, and they won’t listen to anyone. Some of them are hurt, and they keep fighting the medics when they try to help. They’re demanding you._ **

He worried at his lip for just a moment, glancing back up at the roof before shaking his head and striding back down. There was no need to think about Connor, about North, about the storm. There were androids that needed help, and he had to be the one to calm them down.

_I’ll be right there._

The relief on Simon’s side was strong as he gave a nonverbal nod, cutting off their connection. Markus tugged at his sleeves, frowned softly to himself, and started making his way down the stairs with more urgency in his step.

If there was anything he could do to help, he would do it.

 

* * *

 

“Please, Markus, they- they kidnapped my friends,” an ST300 sobbed at him, on their knees as they held two child models close. All three of them were bloodied, blue cuts and gashes across their bodies. “I- I didn’t know it would happen, I’m in one of the safest areas, and- and--”

They broke down further, keeping the children close to them and gasping in her panic. He knelt down, showing his own concern clear as day.

“Could you please tell me what happened to them? Do you know where they went?” He looked them over and glanced over at the hovering medical models. “...Okay, first off, could you allow these medics to clean you up?” At their panicked glance, he smiled as wide as he could at them. “I...I promise they won’t do anything to you or the children. I’ll be with you the whole time, and you can talk with me while they’re patching you up, okay?”

The children were sniffling, even as the adult model froze. They were clearly thinking hard, their still-visible LED cycling between yellow and red clear as day.

“Take your time,” he murmured, despite the panicked looks of the medics. Nothing good would happen if they fought it. “I’m here. Let’s heal you three up.”

Slowly but surely, the adult gave a short nod, shakily getting to their feet. He kept a steady hand on them the whole time, smiling quietly and nodding at them. “What’s your name? And theirs?”

“I’m Autumn,” the first little android said, her smile glowing up at him even through her anxiety. The one next to him- one of the less popular boy models- just clutched to Autumn, eyes wide at Markus. “That’s Evan. He doesn’t talk much.”

He waved softly at the kid with his free hand, letting his eyes crinkle slightly as he watched them relax just a bit. “It’s nice to meet you, Autumn, Evan,” he said, grinning even as he moved with them to the medical rooms. The ST300 looked on edge even as he spoke to them, their stress level...alarmingly high. “And yours?”

They blinked rapidly, as if they hadn’t known that they would be addressed. “Oh! I’m, um, Maren.” They- her? He sent a brief inquiry mentally, nodding at the confirmation- she gave the littlest smile possible, shying away from the medics that tried to push her along. “It’s- an honor to meet you.”

“I’m glad that I could help. Now, could you let them take care of you, please? I’ll be right here, I promise. Right here.” His soothing tone stayed even as the three of them got surrounded by worried medical models and handed pouches of thirium. “Just drink the thirium and they can get to working. You can tell me what happened after you drink that.”

Maren looked between the pouch, him, and the medics, before shrugging and chugging down the thirium as fast as she could. There was something about her that still stayed skittish, still stayed ready to bolt at any moment. He stayed the closest to her; the child models could be stopped easily if they got spooked.

“They- I don’t know if it was CyberLife or gang members or what, but horrible humans took my friends,” she rasped out as her body ingested the thirium. The medics were working on patching up her wounds, the gashes and stab wounds that she had slowly being addressed. “We were just walking home, me, my two friends, and Autumn and Evan and-”

“They sprung out at you.”

She looked terrified. He placed a steady hand on one of hers.

“I promise that we- I’ll find them, okay? I’ll find them and bring them back here, and we can work on checking the security of where you live, Maren. I can get my friend to investigate the incident and try to bring those humans in for questioning by the DPD.”

“The…” Her mouth twisted just a bit as she looked away. That was...understandable. Only one person was prominent in the DPD as an android detective. “ _That_ android?”

“I assure you, he’s capable. He’s been fighting for us ever since the revolution, and he has saved me and others here on many different accounts. Trust me, okay? Where were they taken from you? Where you were attacked?”

She still looked suspicious for a second, flinching the next time someone tried to touch her, but eventually she spoke. “...by the craft store on the corner a few blocks down. I…” A pause. Her stress levels started to rise, although he couldn’t get a read on their exact numbers.

“Maren?”

“I. I think I know where they took them. I can’t exactly tell where it is, but maybe you would know? Xavier- that’s one of my friends, he has a longer-range communicator- he was able to send coordinates and an image to me just before he got cut off.” Her LED was a bright, angry red. “I can show you?”

The medics kept working.

The two child models were softly murmuring to each other as the medics easily patched up their wounds.

Markus blinked.

“That’d be...lovely, thank you.” He hadn’t expected that, really. He had expected to have to contact Connor so he could head over there with Hank, but...perhaps he could head on his own to the coordinates and at least check it out, tell Connor to meet him there.

Markus laid his hand more firmly on top of hers and let his synthetic skin crawl back, connecting to hers as she slowly but surely exposed herself for him to connect to.

The feeling was...wholly different than using it to calm Connor down. He kept his memories, his thoughts back, even as his emotions slowly spread across their link. Maren hesitantly offered up a few of her memories for him to see- a tall building, imposing in design, red and blue across its door. Coordinates that were roughly half an hour away if he hurried. She was full of fear, something so heavy weighing her down that she wouldn’t divulge, even at his soft poke of concern.

 _Thank you,_ he spoke into her mind, keeping the connection strong. _If you’re okay with it, can you stay here while I go see what I can do? I can get North in here to keep you company if you don’t feel safe._

**Is she that...that WR400 that always keeps picking fights with the humans?**

_Yes, she is. Is that an issue?_

A vibrant vein of harsh satisfaction shot through her system, enough to turn her LED blue for a moment before it cycled back into yellow. **I’d rather have her over anyone else, except for you.**

_I’ll see to it that she gets here before I leave. Thank you, Maren. I promise that we’ll get your friends back._

There was something hesitant, reluctant back in her emotions, but he couldn’t get a better look at why before she had broken the connection and withdrew her hand.

Still scared, even a bit, of him.

Well, he had two androids to go help, and he had people to contact. He cast his gaze towards the cieling as he let his sensors pick up North’s, pinging her softly before he set up a connection.

_There’s three andrioids down here that need you to look after them while I go get their friends. They refuse to do anything unless one of us is with them. One adult model, Maren, and two children. Are you still on the roof?_

[Yeah,] North snapped back, something in her noticeably changing. [I’ll be there in a second. Are you going to get those friends alone?]

His pause was lengthy. He could feel that she was not amused.

[Dumbass, bring someone along. Josh, even Simon, any other android. You keep getting attacked when you go out alone, and I know you’re a capable fighter but nobody wants you coming back with wounds.]

_I’m- I’m going to contact Connor, okay? Can you let me do that? I’ll send him the coordinates in our call and he’ll be my backup._

He could feel the force of her raised eyebrow, even though she wasn’t in the room. [Him? Your crush? The former deviant hunter? Well, I can’t stop you, but tell me the coordinates. I’ll bring an army if you’re not back within six hours.]

_...Fine._

He broke off the connection with a sharp scowl on his face, nodding to North when she came in a few moments later. They clasped arms as he transferred the information and left with a nod, letting her handle the newcomers on her own.

He had a mission to complete.

 

* * *

 

**{CALLING: RK800 313 248 317 - 52, CONNOR}**

**{CALL ACCEPTED}**

Markus tapped idly at where his LED used to be as he let himself into a self-driving taxi, leaning back as the call connected. _Connor. Are you doing anything at the moment?_

No. Why? Connor seemed to snap immediately to attention, which made him smile even as he faintly remembered what had happened a few days ago. _(RA9, he was so...troubled. Caught between two worlds. He could see the strong CyberLife programming even in the way Connor carried himself.)_ Is there anything you need? Something happening in New Jericho?

 _As a matter of fact…_ He let his displeasure at the events be shown, even as he started explaining. _Three androids- one adult, two children- came in hurt just now. Two of their friends were kidnapped, and I’m heading to go get them. If you want, you can head over as my backup. North’s insisting I contact someone._

You shouldn’t go in alone,  Connor shot back at him, giving him a sense of disapproval.  I’m heading out now. Send me the location, the coordinates. It might be a trap, and you should wait for me before doing anything. 

_What if they’re hurt?_

Wait. Or else.  ...Or else what? There was something so different with Connor on and off the job, something that fascinated him. he was so, so serious now, but he’d be all goofy and quiet the next. He shook his head with a smile, offering him the location and a picture.

_...Maybe._

Not good enough . 

_Most likely._

Fine  . Connor’s displeasure was even heavier.  I’ll be there soon. 

The connection was abruptly cut, something that Markus hadn’t been expecting. His face grew darker, quieter, thinking on what could happen.

So many things could go wrong. He wouldn’t even _try_ to go without Connor if he wasn’t able to preconstruct scenarios. Even with the ability, he couldn’t predict everything that could happen. The world was a set of branching paths, one choice cascading into so many consequences, and he could only hope that he had done the right thing in going alone.

Maren’s fear, their stress...had been immense. He could only hope that North could calm her down and keep her and the children together.

 _I’ll get your friends back,_ he promised again, even though nobody could hear him. I’ll make sure that they don’t get taken unwillingly by others again.

His fists clenched as the car inched ever closer, minute by minute by minute. He had to do this. Everyone expected so much of him, and he kept living up to it, and every scenario got harder but Markus had to push himself through it. The weight on him shouldn’t be thrust upon anyone else, and he’d try his damned hardest to keep it that way.

He was Markus, the leader of the androids, and he’d make sure that the kidnapped ones came back safe and sound.

 

* * *

 

It was cold.

Not enough to bother him, but enough to notice white wisps of air coming from a human walking past, enough to notice the jacket on them. He idly pulled up a temperature reading as he got out of the car, nodding to himself at the _{48 degrees Fahrenheit and lowering}_ result. If the kidnappers were humans, if they weren’t in a decent building, they’d be feeling the cold, even if it was much warmer than usual. It seemed like it would decrease rapidly soon...hm. A cold front.

He could hear the faint sounds of thunder. Was it real, or just him?

It didn’t matter.

The coordinates led him straight in front of what seemed to be a broken down church. He frowned up at it, crossing the visual and the coordinates, and hummed softly. It seemed to be that the victim had been able to only get something through half-open eyes.

It seemed to be the right place, anyways.

He didn’t bother breaking in, not right away. Markus stepped ever-so-softly up to the doors at the front, trying to squint through the open crack. In the dead of night, if there was any light there’d be a giveaway as to where they were.

Nothing.

There were sounds coming from inside, though. Words that were too faint to make out, the dripping of water from the ceiling. Wind battered at him a bit, the sound slowly ramping up as he tried to keep listening. It was impossible to figure out the best approach.

After a long second he walked back to see it from a further viewpoint. There didn’t seem to be anyone outside, although cameras could be hidden much easier nowadays. There could be someone inside who was using something to muffle their breathing.

_{Chance of success: Uncertain. Not enough data.}_

He muttered a curse before looking around, curling his fingers and extending them once more. He could wait for Connor, but...Maren’s poor friends. They had to be so, so scared. This was the only entrance. There could be anyone lying in wait.

He just had to hope that his preconstruction skills were up to the task.

> _ > GO IN LOUDLY _
> 
> _ > GO IN QUIETLY _
> 
> _ > WAIT FOR CONNOR _
> 
> **> >> GO IN QUIETLY**

Markus steeled himself for conflict, one hand curled into a fist, and slowly inched open the door. A horrid squeak met his attempts, which- _which_ \--

“What the hell’s goin on?” A voice- which had to be from a basement- yelled at the screeching sounds, making Markus flinch even as he managed to inch it open and slip on in. “Carson, go fuckin’ check it! We don’t want nobody comin’ in here til’ we’re done with these bots!”

Done doing _what_ to them?

He sunk into the shadows even as he heard foots pounding on stairs, ducking behind some debris that had fallen from the roof just before someone came up. Every second was a chance he was caught, even if the chance was low- _18%, his mind whispered_ \- and he didn’t want to make that any higher.

> _ > ATTACK _
> 
> _ > WAIT _
> 
> **> >> WAIT**

He kept himself from breathing, usual processes from making any sound, watching as the human went up to the door, poked their head out, and looked around. _RA9,_ he was so thankful that the self-driving taxi had already gone off to another destination.

“Nothing’s here,” They shouted back, although at a lower volume. “Must’ve been the wind or something, it’s been pretty horrid tonight!”

All Markus could hear was grumbling as they went back, feet clunking softly against wood every step of the way.

...All was clear. He kept going.

Markus slowly stepped out from his hiding spot, eyes examining the rest of the room that he hadn’t been able to see before. It was...charming, he would guess, in the past. Maybe there used to be some beautiful glasswork. All that remained was wood with paint scratched off of it, rows and rows of seats, and what seemed to be the staircase area leading down below.

It almost seemed haunted.

He kept quiet as his audio processors picked up something akin to sobbing, something else that sounded like slapping or hitting. Markus kept his hands steady, stopped them from curling up too tightly, and slowly made his way to the staircase.

He had to get them, had to get them. This mattered too much to just let this keep going, and it didn’t matter how many people were down there. He’d managed a horrid fight at the end of the revolution, he’d run from people storming the old Jericho, and he wouldn’t be stopped here.

Markus didn’t notice the way that he was cut off from the outside world digitally as he descended the stairs ever-so-softly.

He had a mission.

He could hear it even better, now. Frantic crying, soft pleads to stop, the chuckling of a man. Markus went as far as he could without being seen and tried to examine the room from what he could see, blocked just a bit by the darkness on the stairs.

The large basement was lit by lamps, flickering softly with each second. Maren’s two friends were tied up in the middle of the room as a man started to kick them around, spitting hate at them with every new blow.

The anti-android sentiment was still something carried by some humans, bitter and growing with each new pro-android law or policy put into place. Many spat at his own name, or at Connor’s, leered at North from across streets, trying to grope if they were nearby before she slammed them down onto the pavement.

More and more, these people were moving into secrecy, like this handful of humans. Mostly men, one woman, two of the men lounging around and the other three, including the one harming the androids, idly standing around or laughing at the two tied up. They seemed to just be enjoying the show. Would they kill them eventually? Would they make it hurt, make it long?

Nobody had guns. They had bats, sharp boots, eyes that could hurt more than death would in the eyes of some of his people.

> _ > WAIT FOR CONNOR _
> 
> _ > EXAMINE THE SITUATION MORE _
> 
> _ > RESCUE THE ANDROIDS NOW _
> 
> **> >> RESCUE THE ANDROIDS NOW**

“Excuse me, but you’re going to have to let those two go.”

He glared around as he walked into the room, straightening and letting his piercing gaze sweep over all of them at least once. It was the matter of a moment for them to realize who had just walked in, who had just found them--

But they didn’t look pissed.

Their grins only grew bigger.

“That bitch told me she could do it,” a man lounging on a chair said with a toothy grin, eyes roaming up and down Markus’ body with something sharp in his eyes. Markus frowned even as his processors worked overtime, reading the situation and preconstructing possibilities. “Guess she’s getting her precious buddies returned, after all.”

_{Chance of escape: 4%.}_

It had been a trap, just like Connor had said it could be.

He tried to contact Connor mentally, trying to initiate a call, but startled when nothing connected. Only a faint static _hum_ buzzed back when he tried anything. He whirled around, eyes widening- but two people he hadn’t seen before, bigger and bulkier than the rest, had blocked the entrance just after he had walked in.

With guns trained on him.

The shit-eating grin on the face of the man who had talked widened.

_Fuck._

“...We can talk about this,” he said cautiously, shying away from the men at the door as the two tied up androids burst into grateful tears. “Nobody...has to get hurt. Let’s just talk through this.”

“I don’t think so,” the man nearly purred, standing up from his lounging position and slowly walking over. “Let those two go, everyone. We don’t need to worry about them talking, do we?”

“Not at all,” one of the androids gasped out, holding the hand of the other once their bindings were finally released. Their gazes were panicked, guilty as they stared at Markus- but...he recognized their gratefulness. The promise that the man had kept, the words of their friend that had brought him here.

He wanted so badly to blame them, to blame Maren, but it wasn’t their fault.

Markus didn’t make a move as the two armed men parted to let them through, guns still trained on him.

“Leader of the android revolution,” the man eventually said, slowly walking up to him and raking his gaze up and down Markus’ body. He shifted uncomfortably; was it to intimidate him, make him uncomfortable? Was it sexual in nature? Either way, it had made him take a step back.

 _Weak,_ North would say. _RA9 save us, you’re turning into a pushover._

He let his hands curl into tight, tight fists.

“That’s me.”

“Yes, that’s you, Markus. Just another goddamn mix of plastic and metal and thirium, wires and coding and...whatever the hell else.” He waved his hand, laughing softly and motioning for one of the other people in the room to do...something.

He quickly found out what it was as he glared at the man. Handcuffs were uncomfortable, especially with his arms behind his back; cords, too, when they were tied around him. He just wanted to break free, but...they were too strong, and, well. There was the obvious threat to his health in the room standing right behind him as he turned.

“I assume you’ve kidnapped me because I’m the leader, yes?” He didn’t let his nervous heart stop him from keeping his voice steady, sure, strong. “I do hope that it was because of that, because if not, then...you’ve made quite the mistake, I suppose.”

“We meant it,” he snapped- oh, _RA9,_ he had a hand on his front. Markus couldn’t pull away, couldn’t fight, but he could certainly shift as far away as he could, the slight panic coursing through his wires. There was a hand on his front, on his shirt, grasping at it tightly as he started to be dragged across the room. “Don’t speak all...sassy to us. Rude. Even if you’re their leader, you’re still one of those fuckin’ disgusting pieces of _shit_ metal.”

He was their hope, even if he didn’t like to admit it.

He was their hope, and if he died today, the androids across Detroit, possibly further, would be lost, with nowhere to go- or worse, _revolt_. He’d be gone, and even if he hated his responsibilities, nobody else was willing to step up for them and keep things steady. Nobody else was willing to negotiate with CyberLife, with the President, with anyone that could harm them.

He shouldn’t’ve gone in alone.

(Not that it would have mattered, he supposed. Despite his pessimistic thoughts, someone would rise up to the occasion if he shut down. North, Simon, Josh. Maybe...maybe even Connor, if they had spent enough time talking about things beforehand.

Now that he thought about it, maybe he should draw Connor further into their mix. He was spending too long as an outcast. Well. That was for another time. Right now…)

“I wonder if you’re just going to kill me or if you’ve kidnapped me just to do something else,” he wondered aloud, soft and quiet. For a moment, he could pretend that nobody had heard him; the ground meeting his face a second later dispelled that idea with quick and easy brutality.

Sometimes, it was amazing that androids were starting to feel sensations. Touch, pain, pleasure.

Right now, the sharp sting to his face, the blow, the knowledge that he had hit hard enough onto the ground that thirium was coming out...well. That certainly wasn’t fun.

Maybe this was how he died. Not with something showy, not in front of a crowd, not with a gun to him like Connor had nearly done twice.

Maybe it was from these sharp words, the kick to his side that made him expel some thirium, the laughter of the group as a whole.

Fighting was so...horrible. Wounding others. It was needless, it was brutal, it was something that North wanted to do just so she could put a smile on her face. Androids hurting humans. Humans hurting androids. The second swift kick to his stomach that made him slide a few more feet towards the back of the room.

The data didn’t matter now. The alerts that murmured of a slightly damaged frame, of the slight thirium loss at his face and expelled through his mouth...they didn’t matter. The only fact that he needed was of what he felt.

He closed his eyes and drifted.

It was pain, it was hysterical cackling, it was everything that nobody expected would happen to him. A caretaker robot that ended up akin to a prophet. A leader. He still could hear the whispers that he could be RA9, some days, or someone sent by them to set them all free.

He took those whispers of belief and let them weigh himself down.

Now, the same words were used in scorn, in jeering. He let himself open his eyes and found the man inches from his face, a hand, two hands around his throat. Alerts popped up one, two, three, four, bursting with panicked frequency as the man kept putting pressure on it.

“Remember this, Markus,” he spat at him, both hands squeezing ever tighter. “Useless trash like the rest of them, even if you’re a pretty piece of work.” The rest of the humans in the room were closing in, eyes glinting like cats that had something to play with, a piece of string dangling in front of them. “Nobody’s coming, you know.”

Was nobody coming? He couldn’t remember.

There was just pain, and there was his mind, and...and Connor was there, too, sort of- in his thoughts, at least.

This situation almost reminded him of the incident. Instead of pain, it was panic. Instead of being physically beaten, just as blows started to fly from the other members of the room, Connor had been torn apart by insecurity and his own demons, his own battles.

Connor was strong, physically and mentally.

Markus was just...Markus.

Everything went by too slow, too fast. His thoughts were consumed by the weight, by the pain, by the little pinpricks he could feel as he was shifted. He physically couldn’t breathe, couldn’t speak. but he could let his mind wander, and wander it did.

North would be disappointed. Connor would be pissed. Simon would cry.

Connor…

Connor was coming, right?

Was that conversation before he arrived at the church a hallucination? They hadn’t spoken much, at all, but his thoughts regularly drifted to him. Maybe in his hyperactive state in the car, he had...imagined up the ordeal.

That sounded like him.

Maybe everything else had been some kind of sick dream. Being shot, waking up in a junkyard to terrible crashing, to rain and thunder thunder _thunder-_ -

_BOOM._

For once he let out a sound, discordant and shrieking, throat struggling to make anything pass through at all. It ended up sounding like some failing screech, faulty machinery getting out of line. His fingers quivered, his knees buckled- he was back at the junkyard, barely able to see, to move, to do anything.

Laughter? There was something similar to it at the edge of his hearing as he crumpled to the floor. All that he could hear now was the exaggerated rain, the crashing of thunder. It was the end of winter, but thunderstorms could still appear, couldn’t they, especially in Detroit?

The horrible rasping from his throat continued, on and on and on as everything blended together. It was a symphony of times better left forgotten. Hopeless times.

What was real? What wasn’t? North had pulled him from some kind of trance, the first time he thought he had heard thunder. The boom of heavy machinery lifting things around was...so similar. So similar.

But it was the real deal now, wasn’t it? He was collapsed among hundreds, thousands of similar bodies. He needed to restore his sight, his proper hearing, but he couldn’t move.

Why could he not even crawl?

_Machine! Goddamn metal freak, screaming at being hurt, at the thunder! Shut the fuck up already before I make you!_

Ah. Were there humans nearby?

He shut down his vocal processors. All that was a constant now was the rain, the thunder, the sudden feeling of being hit, of being tossed around.

Markus surrendered to that panic, that silent screaming, and let himself be washed away.

 

* * *

 

It was thundering.

Connor gritted his teeth even as the self-driving taxi rolled along at its merry pace, letting his fingers toss the coin in his hands back and forth with ever-increasing speed. He was being too slow, he knew it. Something had to have happened.

Markus was not answering- or receiving- his signals.

Was he just unhappy with the situation? Nobody was. Nobody deserved to be drenched in blue, to have those closest to them be kidnapped. It reminded him of staring at himself in a pristine room, Hank nearly dying, his utter panic in trying to find a route where everything would go right.

Markus had asked him for backup, for once, and he was almost absolutely too late to be of any help. Markus was either stubborn, hurt, or had taken care of the situation already. None of those were outcomes that he wanted. Markus was important, brave. He shouldn’t have even gone to the situation at all, but...he was such a...good person, was the right word. Yes. A good person.

A good person that didn’t deserve to be faced with a situation that would be in a kidnapping.

He had originally been a caretaker model, right? Why was he rushing into something that even an athletic model would be more suited to?

Well, he had been a caretaking model that had been at the head of a revolution. Maybe that didn’t apply to him.

Either way, the coin bounced between his fingers, finally coming to an end as the car rolled to a stop. He checked the coordinates, the image, and pocketed the coin even as a roll of thunder brought him fully to reality. The rain was sharp, cold on his sensitive, analytical skin.

It only made his mind all the more clear as he pinged Markus, not expecting a response as he silently strode into the broken down church.

Each step was carefully measured, perfectly placed. He could see where boards would possibly creak, which sections of the walls had broken down, dropping bits of rain onto the floor as the storm picked up.

He carefully blocked out most of that sound, picking out what he could hear from below as he zeroed in on his goal.

Stairs, light coming through an open area, two guards with guns and their backs to him. He let the light fill his gaze and scanned the area- ah, there was that slight humming he could sense. There was a jamming device that he would be unable to take care of. Too tiny, too bothersome to get out from its hiding space. The people down below would know his presence if he tried.

...He had to cut himself off from any kind of network, then. That was...fine. Absolutely fine. He was the only person that could help Markus, because he was being a dumbass that had only called Connor for help.

It was for the best that Connor was the only still-functioning RK800, then.

Seconds passed as he tiptoed down the stairs, not breathing as he crept up on the guards to peer into the room. What he saw was- was--

He hadn’t gotten there fast enough, had he?

Everything by the back wall was so, so _blue._ He didn’t know if it was just from a beating or if Markus had been killed, but some of the humans were standing back just laughing while a few kept kicking his frozen, curled up figure around.

There was only one thing to do.

No being a show-off, only precise destruction. He brought his hands, clasped together tightly, to the back of one guard’s head, then another. Just enough pressure to knock them out, to not kill them. _(He wanted to do it, he wanted to so badly, he had never wanted anything so much, but what would Markus say? Would he look at him with those disappointed eyes like when he had told him of what he had done in the past?)_ Careful calculations, perfect outcomes.

The _thumps_ of their bodies hitting the ground was hidden by the crash of more thunder.

Connor was nearly upon them when someone looked back, eyes filling with alarm despite Connor just being in a sweater and dark pants. They managed to just shout before they were thrown to the ground.

All of the others turned- and Connor _smiled,_ professional and polite.

“I do believe you need to stop that,” he said simply, before laying waste to their group.

Hands, fists, faces. It was a whirlwind of motion, and despite his prior thoughts that these people would be easy, a few were skilled fighters. One had a knife up a sleeve; he sported a gash along his arm soon after that realization, and the human was down for the count moments later.

Markus’ people needed him, and Connor would do anything to keep that hope alive.

He kept taking down the last of the group, devastating and efficient to a symphony of rain and howling thunder.

 

* * *

 

It was cold out, he was bleeding, and rain was pouring. Thunder was a buzz in his ears, making him attempt to groan in his panic.

Carl- where was he? Hadn’t he just been there?

...No. He...he had just been in that church. He had told Connor to be his backup, right? Hadn’t he done that? ...It didn’t matter, now. Everything hurt, he couldn’t make any noises besides harsh screeching, and he was being...kicked around. His stomach, his shoulders, his face. If he was a human, he would be blue, purple, nasty bruises blossoming and red around him.

Instead, he just had blue staining his clothes, his skin, he guessed. Maybe there had been something sharp pressed against him at some point. It all blended together.

...Where was that sensation? Kicking, being crushed against the wall, brought up and thrown down again? Why was everything so still?

His audio processors finally started to fully function, internal fans whirring for just a moment before he came to. Everything was so loud, he realized with a flinch. The rain, the thunder, the...quiet murmuring?

“Markus?” RA9, that was Connor, he realized faintly. He had come. It made him attempt to groan and sit up- he wasn’t too bad, was he?- but Connor shushed him, letting him lay there. “You’re up, that’s good.” His voice was firm, calm, something underlying it that seemed so fragile. Markus opened his eyes for once to see Connor hovering above him lightly.

Every single human was laid out on the ground behind him.

“You’re in bad shape,” Connor said simply, eyes _definitely_ analyzing every visible wound. There was something so focused in him, something that Markus had only seen that first night they had met, a gun pointed at him and then later, a determined gaze when he insisted on heading to the tower. Using his purpose to the utmost potential “Not life-threatening, but if they had gone even just a bit further…”

Markus could connect the dots.

“...The New Jericho medics can handle this. I’ll get you there, and then...then, well.” His gaze was dark. “We can have words with whoever sent you those coordinates.”

He shook his head frantically, as fast as he could even with the pained groan that wanted to come out. No, no, no. He couldn’t do that. Maren had just wanted to save her friends.

(Connor was so confident, like this. He hadn’t been like that a few days ago.)

“We’re going to talk to them,” he said, frowning at Markus. “Don’t look at me like that. You…” Finally, the first cracks in the facade. “You could have died if I was any later, Markus,” he whispered. “Your people need you. They need you so badly, Markus. Everyone does.” He slowly pushed Markus up to a sitting position, eyes softening at his pained expression. “Let’s get you out of here.”

The rain was so, so loud.

_BOOM._

He couldn’t help the sudden screeching that came from his mouth, distorted by the damage to his throat. He was going to die out there, thunder thunder _th under_ crashing into his ears, he couldn’t think couldn’t see he was _dying--_

**{RK800 > RK200 >> MANUAL OVERRIDE: AUDIO INPUT SET TO 25%}**

He slumped over, fingers trying to grasp at Connor’s clothing. It was so much quieter, now. The rain was light, it had to be, had to be.. The rumbling was...wasn’t thunder. Right?

“I guess I’ll have to call Hank, soon,” he could hear as if in the distance, eyes closing to a sigh. The voice was so far away, even though he was being carried by its maker. “He’ll want to handle these people and then...then go to New Jericho to speak with us.”

The feeling of the network being returned to him, the technology at his tired fingertips once again, made him curl up further into the arms that were securely taking him elsewhere.

He was safe. Everything was fine, even if there was pain.

RA9, he trusted Connor way more than he maybe should.

“Let’s get you to your home.”

 

* * *

 

“Connor explain to me about what the _fuck_ happened there? What the hell?”

“I- North, he went in ahead of me while I was on my way! There was nothing I could do! I didn’t exactly live close to the coordinates, so it took me a while to get there and then it started _storming_ and he was on the ground like--”

Markus woke to the shouting that seemed like it was a few rooms away, furious and emotional North against uncomfortable, exact Connor. Markus winced, shifting in the bed he had been settled into, opening his eyes to see medical androids quietly working around him.

Ah- North and Connor were right there. Why had he thought they were so far?

 _{AUDIO INPUT:_ **_25%_ ** _, SET BY_ **_RK800_ ** _(MANUAL OVERRIDE)}_

That...made sense.

“You’re- you should have gotten there sooner! Look at him! You’re made to do all this fighting shit and you couldn’t even stop him in time!”

_North, stop._

He could see her freeze and turn from where her back was to him, eyes widening and shoulders lowering from their aggressive stance. “ _Markus,_ ” she breathed softly, rushing to his side with clenched fists. “You’re- you’re up.”

_How long’s it been?_

“What’s he saying?” Connor smoothly slid into a spot next to North, looking for all the world like he didn’t realize that he had thirium on his clothes, his arms. It made Markus wince, even as he hesitantly connected to him mentally. (He still could recall the absolute numbness that Connor had felt at the sight of himself in the mirror, a half-glimpse of a memory he still couldn’t quite forget.)

_Can’t actually speak, they…_

“Crushed your throat. Yes, we know. It’ll still be like that for the next day or two, as far as I know, until someone can grab one of the people that can actually work on your throat. None of the androids here feel confident enough.” Connor spoke like he was reporting to a superior, not an equal. It made Markus’ heart-- hurt. Strange, really. It just looked like Connor had become back into a machine and was reporting to CyberLife.

Was that how he viewed Markus? Maybe even others in their group?

“He asked how long’s it been since he was out, I guess,” North said with a frown, eyes moving to Connor with a heavily displeased look. “It’s been something like half an hour since you got here.”

“An hour, two minutes and fifty-seven seconds from stasis mode to full processing power,” Connor murmured.

“What the hell were you thinking, Markus, asking for _Connor_? And then not waiting for him, even if you should have just brought me instead?” North was vibrating with energy, eyes lit with a fire that couldn’t be shut down. “Just think about everything for once in your fucking life. Send me instead of yourself, send Connor instead of yourself, since you trust him! You’re too important to just walk off on your own!”

_I can handle myself-_

“ _Clearly not!_ ” Her shout had to have been loud enough to hurt the audio processors of some nearby androids. The medics flinched back, even Markus winced despite the override on the input, and Connor- just stared back at her, eyes flat and posture proper.

“I assure you, I am _quite_ able to assist Markus if he needs me on a mission,” he said flatly, just on the edge of polite. Much frostier than Markus had seen him before, much colder than he seemed to ever be.

“Well, shit, look at him now, then.”

Connor was as still as death, eyes blank but somehow showing that heavy, heavy fury under his skin. Markus glanced between the two rapidly; North seemed ready to throw hands, Connor looked like he expected the result, and...and…

_Stop, you two. Now. We’re not going to have infighting just because of a decision I made._

North was fuming, that energy ready to burst from her as she backed away. Connor sighed, straightened his tie, and turned towards him as if nothing had happened. “She is right, though, that you have made bad decisions this night,” he said, not looking to see her reaction. “Please have at least one person with you at all times when you are out of New Jericho during night, and contact me immediately if any issues like this come up again. Don’t just send me a short, _alarming_ call while you are in transit.”

If Markus could, he would blush in embarrassment. _I couldn’t just take it as an immediate trap, her friends did need help-_

“And speaking of her.” North finally let herself closer to the bed and to Connor, her anger now focused on him, of all people. “She and the two children are being kept in their room. There’s no doubt that she knows her friends are safe, and she’ll be wanting to go soon. We figured that you should be there when she’s questioned, since you know the most information.” Her eyes slid over to Connor. “Did you even get any details from Markus, wonder-detective?”

“I was waiting until he was awake. I’m not willing to probe for memories without consent from him, and even then, I’d rather do it less forcefully.” He nodded down at Markus. “Are you willing to interface so I can find out what happened? I do know that you were...heavily distressed about the events. You might not want to do it.”

_It’s...fine. Easier than telling you myself, anyways. Just. I have a lot of bad memories connected to storms._

North seemed more understanding than Connor, but maybe that was just because Connor was in a working mode. She nodded once and backed out of the mental connection, taking a step back so that Connor could get closer to him.

Ready?  Connor’s voice was softer in his mind, something that made him sigh and relax slightly.

_Ready._

Their fingers twisted together, silver and white and skinless, and he breathed soft and long as their thoughts, their feelings, their memories mingled.

Connor seemed to pick through each moment carefully, examining each moment with the utmost patience as he got everything he could. He seemed to pick up some of the junkyard, of the storm, the fear and pain that had shaken him so badly that he could only curl up. With each second something grew in the other android that seemed sad, heavy, as if- _as if-_

As if Markus had gotten handed a much worse punishment by fate than Connor ever had.

As if Markus didn’t deserve any of it, deserved the best, as if Connor wanted to take those nightmares into himself and harbor them there instead.

He could see Connor’s memories, too, blue too vibrant and dark skin and giving into his programming, taking solace in the routine, in the code.

Connor didn’t deserve any of his horrors. Not at _all._

Markus deserved that weight on his shoulders, the duty that he had taken up himself, rising up and leading his people even as he stared up at the stars at night, feeling lost.

Birds of a feather, indeed.

They were going ever deeper, Connor questing for any more information even as Markus caught glimpses of gardens, pristine flowers, blue skies. It was so different from the thunder and rain that plagued him night and day, but from the emotions connected to them he could see that it was...much the same. Fear, panic, a heart-stopping stillness when the mind drifted to it.

I’ve gotten all that’s needed,  Connor murmured into his mind when he had gotten caught up in analyzing the handler figure that was always just a bit out of view.  I’m ending it. 

Markus blinked quickly, abruptly torn from the connection. Connor looked mightily uncomfortable as he shifted, looking anywhere but at him.

_What’s wrong?_

“...Nothing.” His LED flickered from red, to yellow, to an uneasy blue. “Don’t worry about me.” He started to move away and Markus grabbed at his hands, staring directly at Connor as he spun around. Their eyes locked, Connor’s skittish ones and his intense two-colored gaze.

 _I will keep worrying,_ he stated, _until you stop keeping things to yourself. Don’t separate yourself from us, Connor. You...you keep yourself alone, and then something like...that’ll happen again._

That. The night of Connor’s panic, guilt, fear. The android’s LED turned a scarlet again before staying on yellow.

I will make an effort to visit more often, if that will make you satisfied,  Connor responded silently, quick and uncomfortable.  Do not worry. A pause for half a second before he tilted his head like a puppy, a soft frown on his features. Would you like for your audio input level to be changed to normal? I’ve blocked your access to it, since I thought you’d be overwhelmed once you woke. The storm is gone. The only thing left is some light sprinkling occasionally. 

_Please. I’ve been listening well, but once there’s more people in one room, I’ll need to be able to adjust myself._

Very well.  He sighed as Connor softly touched his arm, not strong enough to interface but enough to adjust some coding.

**{RK800 > RK200 >> MANUAL OVERRIDE: AUDIO INPUT SET TO PRIOR FUNCTIONS}**

_Thank you._

“C’mon, you two, what’s taking so long in nonverbal land? Up you go, Markus. Connor’s going to carry you into the room where that woman, Maren, wasn’t it?- is.”

Markus startled when he heard North’s voice, something akin to a sheepish grin forming on his face even as Connor picked him up. It morphed into a wince- androids...they may heal quicker than a human, and he may have not gotten any proper bruising, but moving hurt like hell.

He extended his connection back out to North, sighing when she accepted it again. _You two will have to ask most of the questions. I’m not quite willing to connect to the whole network, not now. If I do, everyone will be asking what’s been going on._

“They’ve been asking me questions all evening,” North muttered dryly. “Good thing Connor’s never connected to the hub, by the way. Some of the people here are...getting a bit nervous by his presence. Word’s spread that he’s here.”

Markus glanced to Connor’s face, glad that North was facing away. He almost looked like someone had hurt his precious pet. His thoughts swirled around the events surrounding him and- well. he could get why Connor was hurt by that. It was one of the subjects that tore him up the most.

“I’ll be gone as soon as this situation is resolved,” Connor murmured, smoothing over his face and looking anywhere but at Markus or North. “Please tell them so. I would rather them not get...panicked or nervous by my presence.”

They walked out of the little room that Markus had been placed in, a medical model meeting them outside with a soft smile. Markus didn’t miss the way they glanced over at Connor, but...he said nothing. He’d just have to work on it once he was gone. For all of her teasing to Markus in private, Connor set even North on edge. It would be a careful endeavor, to raise their opinion of him.

“Maren hasn’t been too much trouble,” they informed him softly. He remembered them; ah, one of the ones who had been with Maren first. Their name was...Quinn, if he remembered correctly. “Maybe a bit antsy, but not rude. We think it’s because of the children; they seem to feel safe now for the first time since arriving here.”

He nodded at them, not bothering to speak.

“Makes sense,” North said, stretching just a bit as they started walking down the hallway that they were in. “That girl is super dedicated to them, from what I’ve seen. Makes sense that she treats them as her own children.”

Quinn seemed to smile just a bit, even as she stopped ahead of them. “They’re all here,” she continued. “A few others are inside, to keep an eye on them and how they’re doing. We’re lucky that not much else besides this has happened tonight. Overall...one of the quietest nights we’ve had so far.”

Good. That was good. The less androids that were hurt, the better.

The atmosphere in the room was...a bit heavy. Maren seemed more on edge with each second that passed, even with the kids chatting with everyone and playing despite their slight injuries. He didn’t doubt that she was communicating with the friends that had escaped, even now.

(Were they really friends? Were they more? There was so much nuance in relationships that even he didn’t understand. ...It didn’t matter, not right now.)

“Maren,” Connor said firmly as they walked in, loud enough to make Markus lower his input just a bit. “ST300 #143 723 112. We have reason to believe that the coordinates you gave to Markus led to a trap for him and the release of the two androids that were kidnapped.” He set down Markus on the free chair in the room, striding over to Maren with eyes of steel. Thirium, blue and still somewhat vivid, still stained his clothes. Many in the room shied away as he passed them.

Maren looked _terrified._

His face softened just a bit, a hand slowly coming up to her shoulder. “I know how hard it was,” he murmured to her. “It’s not your fault that you were placed in this situation, and no harm or charges will come to you because of it. I just want to ask a few questions of what you saw, alright? The humans have been arrested by the DPD, and this is your statement.”

It was such a drastic shift from when he came in.

Somehow, though, it seemed to work. As silent seconds passed, her body went from its rigid stance to something calmer, more fluid. “...They threatened to kill them,” she whispered eventually, nearly too quiet to be heard. “I- I couldn’t let them die. I loved them. The man who led them said that- that I had to get you there however I could. Send coordinates, images, name places. I...we...I just. I didn’t want to, but…”

“But you wanted the ones you loved alive. That’s nothing to be ashamed of.”

Silence fell for a moment as Maren held her head in her hands, shoulders shaking even with his steady hand on them. “Markus- he- he saved us, that night. In the revolution. Everyone who was surrounded saved us.” She looked up, tears in her eyes, at Markus instead of Connor. “I-”

 _It’s fine,_ he told her silently, a tentative connection already set up between them. _But...you could have told us about all this, Maren._

“You could’ve,” Connor repeated, nodding. He had been listening in on him; well, everyone in the room sort of was, at the moment. They could all hear him. “You aren’t in the wrong here, but remember that the people here are there to help you. If you told Markus, he could have rounded up a team to go save them, and nothing bad would have happened.” At her panicked glance, he smiled, shaking his head. “Don’t fret about it. Just...could you help me? I have evidence of what they were doing, but I’d rather have you describe exactly what happened when you first encountered those humans.”

“It...they…”

Markus half-listened to what Maren was saying, splitting his attention between logging her words and glancing over at North. She had a sharp frown on her face, much scarier than Connor was at the moment. He beckoned her over and raised an eyebrow.

“He’s designed for this shit,” she muttered after a moment. Her hands were clenched into tight fists as she stood there. Everything was contained, but her frustration was as clear as day. “I learned how to make people spill, or how to intimidate and he just- has it in his goddamn code, meant to hunt other androids. You may trust him after that heart-to-heart but...he’s dangerous, Markus. All he got from that encounter from those humans was a knife slicing a little bit along him.” North shook her head and sighed.

 _He could’ve killed me. He didn’t. He could’ve run away and not brought us reinforcements. He came back with a towerful of them._ He nodded towards Connor, who had an LED that was cycling between blue and yellow, easily keeping Maren talking. _He was made to do that, but he’s so much more. Just like you. Just like me._

She looked away, face clouded with bitterness. He shook his head and grabbed her hand softly.

_Give him a chance, alright? Maybe ask him how he fights one day. He could teach you stuff that I’m sure isn’t available anywhere to download._

“But-”

_Give. Him. A. Chance. He deserves that much, North. Look at him. He rarely ever actually spends time with many androids, do you know that? Everyone’s just driven him away, first chance they got, even if he’s bringing a positive media view. He’s what they feared. You’re treating him exactly like everyone else is._

“I…” The downward curl to her lip was sharp, eyes flickering back to him and then down in...guilt, maybe. “Don’t fucking….guilt trip me, Markus. Fine. I’ll give him a chance. _One_.” She held up a single finger, nail sharp as a blade. “And if he fucks it up, that’s on him. Don’t blame me.”

He watched her for a long moment, eyes harder than they usually were, before nodding and looking back to the room as a whole. The children were quietly chatting with a nurse model, faces lit up with fascination and questions. Connor was an interesting mix of professional and comforting as he pulled details from Maren. Was that from his social protocols, or was it all made up by him? Markus...wouldn’t be surprised if it was mostly protocol, or a bit of both.

Connor really needed to be drawn out of his shell. A safe shell it may be, but a barrier between him and others all the same.

Minutes passed before Connor nodded, pulling her in for a short hug before smiling at her and nodding. With measured steps he arrived back by Markus’ chair, dipping his head before quietly summarizing for him. “She’s given me details of the attackers to match them up, which they do. She’s also gotten names for one or two as well as an account of what happened earlier. I...I should really go to the station now. They’ll be expecting the information, and…”

He looked torn between staying and going, that uncertainty spelled out in the way his fingers flexed for something to mess with, the way his eyes kept flickering to other things and then back to Markus.

 _Go,_ he murmured, nodding towards the door. _I’m sure they’d love the details, and that can wrap up the case quickly so it doesn’t have to be done later._

It was just half a second before he caught Connor’s hand as he started to move, causing the detective to blink wildly and lock eyes with him.

 _Thank you,_ he sent privately, shoulders heavy with the weight of the night’s events, eyes dark. _Thank you for getting me. Could you...visit, more often? I have some things that I think you might be interested in doing. Not like tonight, of course. I’d rather not have you that hurried._

I was worried. There’s a difference.  Connor sounded like something was buzzing underneath his skin, that impatience and fidgeting making its way into his transmissions.  But...yes. I’ll visit soon. I will be sure to call and warn in advance so that I do not show up with you, bloody, in my arms again .

Humor.

_Funny, funny. I look forward to it, Connor. Tell me how the incident tonight is resolved, okay? I don’t want them harassing and threatening androids like that again._

Like _you_ . 

_Like Maren. There’s a difference._

He could see Connor roll his eyes, something of a smile flashing on his face as he shook himself away from Markus’ grip and kept on walking.  Of course I’ll keep you updated. Thank you on allowing me into Jericho. 

The connection cut, jagged and swift. Markus sharply frowned as he watched Connor disappear, thoughts drifting to his actions, his words, the events of the night. Thanking him for being let in. That insecurity, the casual comments or actions that he’d make, an android that was seen as alien in what should have been his own community.

“So. I bet it’s a matter of a few weeks before you kiss, maybe you’ll fuck right after.”

_North!_

Her sharp, biting laughter lit the room up in Connor’s absence, letting the atmosphere soften greatly.

All it did was make his heart fall.

 

* * *

 

A call.

It was the morning, now. Humans would be more up and about, and it seemed like New Jericho got more active with the day as well. Markus was just glad that he didn’t need to be charged but for every few days. Getting the work done that needed to be completed was much easier when you didn’t need eight hours of sleep a night.

Simon had updated him with his schedule for the coming days, Josh had reminded him that he would have people coming in to work on his throat in the coming day, and North was just...off harassing those that usually kept watch, maybe. Or punching something that couldn’t feel pain.

The call was from Connor.

He picked it up as he turned away from his window, wincing as his body kept murmuring alerts of pain at him. RA9, he knew that was pain. He didn’t need to be told.

The alarms were turned off as he opened the channel.

_Connor. How’s everything going? Well?_

They’ve been locked away, at least for a while. Drugs have been found in their homes, too, and a hideout that one of them spilled about. Media’s gotten their noses to the ground and they’re trying to find something, but we’ve decided to handle this quietly. 

_Why?_

For you.  Connor was matter-of-fact, short and simple.  If the media caught wind that you had been hurt, they would have a field day, especially the parts that are still in opposition. 

Relief flooded through him, enough to filter even slightly into the connection so that Connor could notice. Despite that, Connor stayed stiff and professional; he’d have to work on that later.

 _Thank you,_ he told him, heartfelt as he grinned. _That’s such a great help to us- to me. Thank you._

There was something left hanging on the call, Connor not talking for long enough that Markus nearly thought the call had been smoothly ended.

_Connor?_

Do- do none of the androids at New Jericho trust me?  There was hurt underlying the question, quiet and soft as a whisper.

 _More of them do than you think,_ he responded before Connor could continue. _North’s the one who likes you the least. The medical models are always worried whenever someone goes towards their patient with an angry look on their face. Most trust your capabilities. None know you well enough to say anything beyond that._

...I should go there more, shouldn’t I? 

_It’s a good choice to make. I need to consult with you on some things, anyways, now that many androids are settling into the same area. Sometimes, it’s hard to keep the peace, and North and the others are only so good at keeping the region secure. I was wondering if you could take charge of that, at least when you have some free time._

North would be mad, I’m sure. 

_And she would possibly be very pleased if you offered to teach her a few of your moves._

...She would? 

_Part of why she’s not fond of you is how good you are at fighting._

Surprise filtered over their link before Markus heard a soft chuckle. His own face grew into a grin at it, pleased by the change in mood.

Well, then. I’ll make sure to stop by at some point to talk about it. I have more to do today, but...maybe later this week? 

_You’re welcome any time. Thanks for everything, Connor. I’ll see you later?_

Definitely. 

The call was ended abruptly, but it still left him with a smile on his face, wanting to laugh despite the current functioning power of his throat.

There was so much potential in New Jericho, in him, in the possibilities for the future, and it all started at the base of things. It started at people, at conversations, at confidence, the world changing as time turned on.

It started at a lost, panicked, drowning figure being pulled to shore.

It started, as all things do, with hope.

**Author's Note:**

> again, im a slut for kudos and comments
> 
> any particular scenes you'd be interested in seeing? i have a good idea for a connor & north based fic in the series, but i want to know what yall want next!  
> have a great day!


End file.
